Police believe Steven Pratt, 45, killed 64-year-old Gwendolyn Pratt during an argument at her home in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.

Officers found Mrs Pratt dead and with head injuries at around 6.30am yesterday.

Pratt had been released from prison on Friday, and his family had thrown a welcome back party to celebrate the end of a 30-year jail sentence he had received for shooting a neighbour dead with a handgun.

Teenaged Pratt killed neighbour Michael Anderson in 1984 following a dispute in which he initially tried to attack him with a lead pipe.

Mr Anderson managed to grapple the weapon away and beat him with it, but Pratt later returned to shoot him dead.

He was convicted of murder two years later and sentenced to 30 years in jail.

An autopsy found that Mrs Pratt had died from massive trauma to the head.

Before the attack a neighbour claims he overheard Pratt on the phone asking to stay with a cousin in the wake of an argument.

Pratt has been charged with murder and is being held on £620,000 bail.